Briare walks

This hike begins with a crossing of the magnificent Briare Canal Bridge. This crossing is a privilege and if you are there early in the morning, you are sure to experience a range of emotions.It continues along paths that run alongside the canal parallel to the Loire, offering bucolic panoramas.

This route is offered by the Gien Town Hall to explore the town while learning about its history and discovering its heritage. As you progress, you will find information boards with explanations of the various historical points of interest identified. I am sharing it here, with my personal modifications to the route and the various points of interest, which are more or less in the same positions.

This first stage runs along the Loire to take you to Briare, a charming little town full of flowers, with its small river port. Please note: this hike can be done either as part of the 3-stage Gien - Cosne-sur-Loire hike, or on its own by taking the train from Briare back to Gien.

A signposted, family-friendly, shaded walk along the Breteau ditches that feed the Briare Canal. This easy route also takes you to the Étang de la Grande Rue lake and its dam. Suitable for pushchairs and bicycles, you can enjoy the cool shade of the undergrowth in summer and a dry path in wet weather.

The route goes from pond to pond around the village of Champoulet. There is wildlife to discover.

Marked hike N°71. A whole new way to discover the story of the construction of the Canal de Briare! With this hike you can follow a part of its water supply system and come back along the old route to the incredible monument that we today know as the Seven Locks.

This family hike is historically very interesting. Between the shaded first part and the canal-side second part, the route has a total elevation gain of 28 metres, mainly at the beginning. In terms of history, from Henri IV to Charles de Freycinet, the size of boats has increased, imposing new standards. Today, we talk about the amount of water consumed that needs to be saved.

A short and pleasant walk in the countryside near Barlieu.

An easy route, with a variant, open to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. The Blue Route is rich in heritage that characterises Blancafort: the canal, the river, the old marl pits and the paths rehabilitated for the enjoyment of walkers by the Blancafort et Patrimoine Association. Five other trails are suggested on the sign at the wash house (canal bridge, Euro monument).

A route focused on painting with Le Michel-Ange des Arbres. Around twenty representations of Henri Harpignies' paintings line this walk among the trees, sunken paths and viewpoints of Puisaye.Saint-Privé is listed as one of the "Cités de caractères de Bourgogne - Franche-Comté" (villages of character in Burgundy-Franche-Comté).

In the Orléans Forest, the route runs alongside the vast Étang de Corcambon, ending around the Étang du Bourg which borders the flower-filled village of Dampierre-en-Burly, at the foot of its fortifications.

Hike along sunken paths and through undergrowth, cross streams and return via the village of Savigny.

On the edge of the Sologne, this circuit brings together the typical landscapes that make up the charm of this natural region near the Loire: meadows, ponds, forests, interspersed with crops and pretty brick houses. The little river Sange brings it to life and gives it a little relief. Marked in yellow, this route is also signposted in places as "PR® de la Vallée de la Sange - P 11". Despite two sections on the road, 70% of this circuit is on unpaved paths.

A circular in the Orléans Forest along a pretty path that winds between the trees. You will discover a series of springs converted into fountains and end this walk at the Résistance crossroads, a place steeped in Second World War history. A monument has been erected there in memory of the resistance fighters who died for France.

Discover the village of Saint-Loup-des-Bois, its inhabitants, the Saints-Lupéens, and the forests that surround it. You will pass by the Museum of Agricultural Machinery and Rural Life, which traces the history of agricultural machinery. In addition to these major collections in Europe, there is an astonishing and impressive collection of irons and a collection dedicated to woodworking trades (clog makers, coopers, wheelwrights, etc.).